Eric Northman is a stubborn, hardworking bar owner whose physician gives him an unusual prescription for a back injury: yoga. Will his new yoga instructor, Sookie Stackhouse, be just what the doctor ordered? AH/AU. Rated M for language and lemons.

A/N: This is it! I was absolutely blown away with the response to the last chapter…To all of you wonderful readers who have reviewed every chapter along the way – THANK YOU!! Your reviews mean the world and I feel like I get to know you all through your reviews/pms, etc. And to all you fabulous souls who reviewed for the 1st time – THANK YOU!! I completely appreciate all the kind words. And to all of you who have said you've started yoga or are thinking about it - hip hip hooray!

And the biggest THANK YOU of all to the three betas that helped make this story shine. S. Meadows and Gallathea were there at the beginning and helped me get this idea out of my head and up here. FarDareisMai2, who took over midway and was so awesome about calling me out when I got too cheesy and being here at the end. Love you all!

I'm sorry this epilogue took longer than expected. I waited a bit to start writing it b/c I wanted to see what the general consensus was re: the epilogue. There seemed to be a pretty vocal majority, so lets hope I did it justice…

Ok, I'm gonna shut up now.

"Anything else besides the water?" I shouted into the living room, but all I heard back was a small grunt followed by a breathless, "I'm fine."

I quickly picked a glass from the cabinet and filled it to the brim with cool water, looking around the kitchen to see if I should grab anything else. Thinking she might get hungry, I plucked an orange from the fruit bowl and brought it with me. When I rounded the corner to the living room, Sookie was on her hands and knees, breathing slowly, her head rolling back and forth between her shoulders.

I placed the water glass down on the coffee table, and came up behind her, placing my hands on her hips, pressing down gently.

"How do you feel?" I asked quietly, hoping I wasn't bothering her.

"Okay. I actually feel okay."

I smiled, marveling at how calm things were, and wondered how long it would stay like this. I helped myself to a sip of Sookie's water, as I heard the soft pitter-patter of feet behind me. Looking down, I saw our cat, Star, peeking around the corner curiously. After a few sniffs, Star quickly whipped around and hightailed it out of the room. I shook my head, still shocked that I had a cat living in my home.

I was definitely not a cat guy. I'd always thought that if an animal was ever going to live in my home, it would be a Pitbull. And yet, Star had been with us since we bought our house two years earlier. Sookie had brought her home one day, suckered in by a sob story one of her yoga students had given her. At the time, the grey puffball was sort of cute, and just sat in a tiny ball, not doing much. But later she walked around, head held high like she owned the place. By the looks of things, that was going to change .

A groan from Sookie snapped me out of thinking about the damn cat.

"Shit, are you okay? Where the fuck is Amelia?" I asked, my pulse beginning to race.

I had been wondering when I would start freaking out, and apparently it was right then. Sookie didn't respond with words, and instead let out a low moan, and started lifting her hips up and down, her eyes closed.

"Are you sure this is what you want? You know I'll support you in whatever you want, I just want to make sure." I was close to panicking. And I never panicked.

Sookie took a long inhale, held the breath and then exhaled, before answering.

"Eric, it's a little late to change our minds now. Octavia is on her way over, and I'm pretty sure my water just broke."

I looked down and sure enough, Sookie's pants were soaked through, with a light stain of red-tinted fluid dripping onto her yoga mat. I helped her up and we hobbled over to the bathroom, where I ran a warm shower for her. Despite my inclination to freak the fuck out, her absolute calm seemed to wash over me, and I did my best to maintain some semblance of calm for her.

As I helped her undress, I couldn't help but marvel over her body. In the previous nine months, Sookie's body had gone through the most amazing transformation. Her breasts were at least another cup size larger, if not more so. Her nipples had turned a dark, dusky rose color, and were mostly always erect, which turned me on to no end, much to Sookie's dismay, since they were hyper sensitive according to her.

I watched, entranced, as each month her stomach protruded further and further, until it looked like she was smuggling a beach ball under her shirt. Besides her huge tits and swollen belly, not much about Sookie had changed, and I was surprised to find how hot she became, all curvy and pregnant. The fact that she was carrying our child seemed to make it that more appealing, and her boost in libido during her second trimester certainly didn't hurt.

When Sookie became pregnant we were both beyond shocked. We had been living together for three years at that point, well 'living in sin,' as Pam liked to call it. Neither of us was gung ho on the institution of marriage, despite knowing we were going to spend the rest of our lives together. Getting pregnant seemed to have changed all of that.

Early on in our relationship, Sookie had told me that a surgery in her childhood had made it so it would be extremely difficult if not unlikely for her to get pregnant. Because of that, we were never one-hundred percent careful, especially after moving in together. Yet, after Sookie had "the flu" for almost a month, she finally went to the doctor and we were both shocked when they said that she was pregnant.

Based on some calculations, it was discovered that we most likely conceived the night of the annual Valhalla Hellraiser party. Pam had been intent on continuing with her insanity, and I allowed it, as it had certainly pulled in its fair share of profit that first year. I had hoped maybe Sookie and I could have avoided it all together, opting instead for a quiet night away from the bar, but Sookie insisted, her perverse love of holiday karaoke fueling her desire to go.

Amelia had brought a few handles of her homemade mead to the party, but I made sure to keep it in back, since I was not legally allowed to sell it to the public. That didn't mean that our close friends didn't help themselves to glassfuls, Sookie and I included. After more than my fair share, I felt warm, happy and more than willing to share my holiday spirit. I was glad that there were a few blankets stored away in my office closet because I wasn't sure we were in any shape to even walk home.

Sookie was belting out some awful Christmas tune and I did my best not to actually listen. She looked incredibly sexy though, wearing a white sweater dress that clung to her body in all the right places. I could tell she was also a bit inebriated because she was stumbling as she swayed to the music, yet she still looked adorable. Her eyes were shining, and her face lit up with a huge smile. Once her song concluded and she took a silly bow to the clapping crowd, I whisked over, and wrapped my arm around her waist. I bent down so I could whisper in her ear, engulfed in the warm, floral scent that was uniquely Sookie.

"Lover," I breathed, knowing she loved the feel of the hot air against the curve of her ear.

I could feel her shiver beneath me, and smirked at how easy it still was to turn her on. It was the same for me, however, and I reveled in the fact that we still had the same passion and hunger for each other as when we first met.

"I have something I need to show you in my office. Can I steal you away for a moment?"

Sookie looked up at me with wide eyes, her eyebrow arching in question. When she saw the intention behind my words, she immediately acquiesced, threading her fingers into mine, and almost dragging me back to my office. We made it in mere seconds, and I made sure to lock the door as it shut tight behind us.

"What did you want to show me, Eric?" asked Sookie, her eyes gleaming with need. She licked her lips and that was all it took for my pants to grow tight. I took my finger and swept away some loose hairs that had fallen in her face. My finger then trailed down her jaw and neck, stopping at her collarbone. I took a step closer before continuing on, slowly dragging my finger across the top of her shirt, before dipping down, loving how easily the soft material gave way beneath me. Sookie's breathing began to speed up and I knew she would kill me, but I stepped away suddenly, leaving her panting.

"It's over here," I laughed, as I walked towards my desk.

I had always fantasized about taking Sookie in my office, yet the opportunity had never appeared. I was going to use this chance to the fullest. I sat down in my chair, spreading my legs widely. Sookie walked over and perched down on the edge of my desk, her dress hitching up her bare thighs. I quickly opened my pants, unzipping them before I pulled my erection free.

I stroked myself slowly, but kept my eyes completely focused on Sookie, watching as her chest heaved up and down faster and faster. Her hands had slid up her thighs and soon she was cupping her own breasts, making me grip myself harder. I started leaking from the tip and gathered the liquid with my thumb, spreading it around as I thrust into my hand. While it was clear that she enjoyed watching, soon Sookie couldn't help herself anymore and she kneeled down in front of me, her hands pushing my own off as her mouth engulfed me in hot, wet bliss.

After all that teasing, I couldn't help myself, and began fucking her mouth in earnest, her moans and whimpers spurring me on. I didn't want to cum in her mouth, however, as I had other plans. I gently removed her mouth from me, causing Sookie to look at me curiously. I gave her a wicked wink before standing up, and spinning her around, placing her hands on the desk in front of her.

"Oh," breathed out Sookie as she realized what was about to happen.

I hastily pushed my pants all the way down and kicked them away, making it easier to access her. I lifted up Sookie's dress so it rested above her hips, and marveled at the sight in front of me. Her ass was creamy white, and only a hint of champagne colored satin seemed to travel down her cheeks, disappearing halfway down. I rubbed her ass, bending down and giving it a nip before straightening again.

Sticking a finger into the waistband, I ripped her thong from her, scattering shreds of satin which floated to the floor. My hand cupped her right between the legs, and I groaned, feeling how wet she was for me. A few passes of my fingers opened her up beautifully and I couldn't take it any longer. I grabbed my cock with my right hand and thrust it into her, needing to still myself once I filled her all the way.

"More, Eric…I need more!" called Sookie, desire clear in her voice.

I took a deep breath before complying, pulling all the way out before slamming back into her. My thighs slapped the back of hers as my hips moved back and forth, pushing myself into her over and over again. Sookie met me thrust for thrust as she pushed her hips backward into me. I was close to the edge, and wanted her to cum with me, so I snaked a hand around, and fingered her clit. Her moans turned to shouts of my name, and as she clenched down around me, my balls tightened before I released into her, panting hard. We both collapsed back onto my chair, collecting our breaths before going another couple of rounds.

Despite the amazing memories of how we conceived, at first I was completely floored that a baby was the result of it. In fact, my initial instinct had been to run, and I actually had. I left town for a long weekend, not even sure what to think. I headed up to Sam's cabin up in the woods, needing to be alone. It was a total dick move on my part, and Sookie had to literally hold Amelia back from trying rip my nuts off when I came back. Yet, somehow, Sookie understood. She was pissed, for sure, her hormones going all over the place, but she seemed to understand that I just needed to let the news sink in.

I had done a lot of thinking in the woods over those few days, and when I came back, I immediately proposed to Sookie, knowing in my heart that I wanted to make things official if we were going to include a new person into the mix. Not surprisingly, Sookie scoffed at first, not wanting me to propose just because she was knocked up.

I didn't push her, though, and we continued on with our lives, just with this insanely life altering event hanging over our heads, looming in the distance. I didn't know a thing about pregnancy or babies, and despite not having any experience herself, Sookie somehow managed to acquire a wealth of knowledge all on her own. She was always reading a book or looking something up online, and before I knew it she had all these ideas about things she wanted or didn't want about the whole birth thing.

For the most part, I went along with it, but when she mentioned she wanted to have the baby at home with a midwife, I became nervous. What if something went wrong, what if we needed an operating room? Sookie calmed most of my fears, showing me all of the research she had done. While I hadn't been entirely comfortable with it, I supported her anyway, knowing it was ultimately her choice.

And there we were, holed up in our tiny bathroom, with Sookie moaning through each wave of contractions. I did my best to help, pushing down on her back and hips where Octavia, our midwife, had told me would help. Finally, the shower began to turn cold and Sookie asked me to help her get out. I wrapped her in a fluffy robe, and let her lean into me as we walked into the guest room, which had all our birthing tools. A large mat was spread out, with an empty tub pushed up against the wall.

Sookie immediately went for the huge, red bouncy ball stashed in corner and bounced up and down, sigh in relief. She held her hand out, but didn't say anything, and I wasn't quite sure what she wanted. I walked over until I was standing directly in front of her and she grasped my hand, just wanting some sort of contact. She brushed her fingers against the simple, platinum band I now wore on my left hand and I smiled, remembering our wedding day.

After my initial, rather haphazard proposal, which followed my stupid soul searching weekend in the woods, I never pushed Sookie for marriage. I figured it would come when the moment was right, and she was already dealing with so much, that I didn't want to add to her load.

One afternoon we were sitting around the kitchen table. I had been leafing through a music store magazine, trying to decide on a new guitar, while Sookie was writing up a grocery list.

"Ok, let's do it."

I looked up from my magazine to see that Sookie had stopped writing the list and was tapping the pencil against the edge of the table.

"Do what, love?"

"You know, the whole marriage thing. Tie the knot, make it legal, take the plunge, officially make me your ball and chain," she said, a small smile beginning to form on her face.

I let her words sink in, and wondered if she was just teasing me.

"You're serious?" I asked, not wanting to get overly excited about it before I knew she meant it.

"Yeah, let's do it. Something about bringing a baby into this world with its parents legally married seems like the right thing to do. Oh, and I love you to pieces," she added, as an afterthought.

It wasn't the champagne and roses kind of proposal I had thought about, but we weren't really a champagne and roses kind of couple. Instead, I swept Sookie up into my arms, knocking the list out of her hands and kissed the shit out of her. I didn't let her out of my grasp the rest of the night.

We were married a month later in a very informal ceremony in our backyard. Sookie was already six months pregnant at our wedding, but she looked absolutely stunning. She wore a sleeveless white dress, with a high waist so it fluttered out around her belly in layers, concealing the growing baby bump. She was barefoot, as was I, in my dark grey pants and white linen button down shirt.

Amelia, having finally forgiven me after reading my tea leaves one evening, got herself ordained over the internet and married us in a rather untraditional, but absolutely perfect ceremony. We wrote our own vows, which included a lot of swears and jokes on my part, and a lot of sweet words on Sookie's part. There wasn't a dry eye in the place. Our friends brought food over, potluck style, and we celebrated with a good meal and ended it with an open jam session around the fire. Pam chided me, saying I was becoming a new age hippie freak more and more each day. If that meant I got to go to bed each night with Sookie by my side, so be it.

A knock on the door broke me from my thoughts and I turned just in time to see Octavia come in. Octavia gave Sookie an exam, and I felt like after that things started to move awfully quickly. Sookie's moans started to get louder and more drawn out and every time she made a noise, my heart clenched knowing there wasn't anything I could do to ease the pain.

Octavia whispered words of encouragement to Sookie, and I did all I could without getting in the way. I rubbed Sookie's back, and allowed her to hang on me as she swayed through contractions. Finally, after what seemed like hours, Octavia declared that if Sookie was feeling ready, she could push. By this point, Sookie seemed to have been transported to her own little world, but Octavia assured me this was normal. I grabbed a washcloth and ran it under some cool water, before wiping it along Sookie's sweaty brow.

After what seemed like an hour and a hell of a lot of grunting and noise later, I witnessed my daughter's entry into the world. I'd be lying if I said my eyes didn't tear up a bit, but I doubt anyone could have blamed me. After it stopped pulsing, I clipped the cord as Octavia wiped my little girl off. She handed her to Sookie, and my two girls got to meet each other for the first time.

After checking her out and cleaning her up, Octavia helped Sookie move into the bed, our daughter, not having left her arms. I covered them both in a blanket as a little set of lips sought out Sookie's nipple. After a few tries, she got it, her eyes still closed and her mouth sucking away.

"Eric…this is our daughter," Sookie said, her eyes bright and shiny.

"Come meet her," she said, patting the bed next to her.

I slid under the covers, wrapping my arm around Sookie's shoulder and held them both close. The overwhelming desire to protect them both grew strong in me, and I knew I was destined to be a horribly overprotective father, and I was absolutely okay with that.

"What do you think about Adele?"

Sookie's grandmother had passed away a little over a year before, and we had toyed with the idea of using her name. We didn't know whether the baby was going to be a boy or a girl, so we didn't have a clear thought of what we would use. Now, looking down upon the little angel in my wife's arms, Adele seemed like the perfect choice.

"It's beautiful, Sookie. And it suits her too. Hello, Adele," I whispered, leaning down to kiss her forehead.

She popped off of Sookie with a sigh, her eyelashes fluttering. A surge of warmth released within me, making me feel completely at peace, reveling in the bliss that was my life.

A/N:

I hope I did these two justice. I had fun on the funny, fluffy ride, and can only hope that you all did too. So...now that T&R is over, I will focus my energy on finishing up TFO - I miss the heck out of that fic! Also...My one shot in the Twi-High Anonymous contest, The Hood, came in 2nd in open voting and 1st in judge's pick. *squees* I posted it under my profile and will be continuing it as well :)

~*~Namaste~*~

The author would like to thank you for your continued support. Your review has been posted.